Siberia

Siberia opened in 2010 at 2227 St. Claude Avenue, becoming the de facto clubhouse for New Orleans' punk, metal, and underground music scenes at a time when few venues catered to those crowds. Owner Matthew Russell and partners converted the former Te Te's Bar & Grill into a 200-capacity room that books everything from hardcore and noise to burlesque, comedy, and experimental theater up to seven nights a week. The venue's in-house kitchen, Kukhnya, serves Slavic soul food -- pierogis, blini, and Polish sausage po-boys -- making Siberia one of the few clubs in town where you can eat borscht between sets. Situated at the corner of St. Claude and Elysian Fields, it anchors a mini-entertainment district that has defined the avenue's gritty, creative identity.